Mullvad vs Proton VPN 2026: Privacy and Price

Mullvad is the paid choice when you want a price you can budget: €5 per month, the same rate for a year, on an account that covers up to five devices. Proton VPN is the choice when a free connection with no data limit is enough and you can live with one device at a time. Choose on account recovery, the route you need, and how long you will pay.

We checked Mullvad's pricing page, Proton's pricing page and their support documentation on October 28, 2026. This comparison is for someone buying a personal connection, not a company rollout. Proton's paid price depends on the offer and billing term shown at purchase. Set the amount due today and the renewal next to Mullvad's flat rate before you treat a paid Proton plan as cheaper.

Toolradar data: Our VPN directory evaluated 37 VPN tools for its ranking as of October 28, 2026. That figure covers the category, not a laboratory test of these two providers.

At a glance

These rows are not the same product. Mullvad's single advertised rate suits you when knowing the bill is the point of paying. Proton's free row sits beside paid tiers and other Proton services, and it understates the cost once you need more devices, a chosen country, or streaming.

The cost of one month or a year

Mullvad charges the same monthly rate whether you buy a month or a year, so a short stint does not cost more per month than a long one. The page lists €5 for a month, and twelve months at that displayed rate comes to €60, including the VAT treatment the vendor states. Indicative currency conversions on the page can move, and a conversion is not a guaranteed charge on a card billed in another currency.

You do not have to lock a long term to get that rate. For a short project or occasional travel, you can budget a month and stop, instead of extrapolating a promotional two-year offer you never priced. Mullvad says a 14-day money-back guarantee applies, with an exception for cash payments, so read that exception before you count on a refund in cash.

Proton's free plan costs nothing when a free connection covers the job. On October 28, Proton displayed a US-dollar VPN Plus offer of $83.76 for the first 24 months, renewing at $83.88 every 12 months. Plus includes up to 10 simultaneous connections. This is a long-term offer, not a one-month price; prices and eligibility can vary by region. Write down the total due, renewal, term and any tax before comparing it with Mullvad. Our Proton VPN review covers the wider choices, and prices dated on that page should be rechecked at checkout.

Cost verdict: Proton wins when a free connection does the job. Mullvad wins when you want a known price for a short paid stretch and do not want to decode a renewal. We cannot name a cheaper paid winner for every period without Proton's current checkout terms.

Devices and shared use

Mullvad says one account can be used on up to five devices, and Proton says the free plan allows one device connected at a time. When connecting each device directly, alternating a laptop and a phone on the free plan means choosing which one is on the VPN, and the other stays off it until you switch. Proton also says a compatible VPN router counts as one connection while protecting devices connected through it. For several direct app connections at once, compare a paid Proton tier with Mullvad's allowance.

A device cap does not settle whether you should share the login. Check the terms before giving someone the account credential and decide who will keep the recovery details safe. A workplace that needs offboarding, identity controls and an audit trail should not assume either consumer plan supplies them. Our NordLayer vs Tailscale comparison covers that access decision, and the Tailscale pricing guide explains seat-based pricing.

Device verdict: Mullvad permits more direct connections when one person keeps several gadgets on a single account. A team should confirm its own requirements rather than assume either consumer plan includes central administration.

Account privacy and recovery

Mullvad assigns a randomly generated account number and does not ask for a username, password or email address at signup. Less identifying information is collected at creation, and the number is the credential for the account, according to its no-logging and data policy. That suits a buyer who does not want an inbox tied to the VPN. It is a poor match if you count on an inbox to get back in, since signup does not collect an email.

A bank or card company can still hold a payment record when the VPN asks for little. Mullvad lists several payment methods and the conditions for cash, so pick the method that matches the records you will accept and read its refund terms.

Proton uses a Proton account that may also cover its other services. That helps when a recovery method already exists, and it costs more when the same login guards mail or storage too. Use a unique credential and a second factor where offered, and keep a recovery copy you can open.

Privacy verdict: Mullvad asks for less identifying information when the account is created. That does not prove anonymity, and it does not erase records a payment provider holds. Proton's account is easier to align with its other products if you secure the login and plan the recovery.

Server access and streaming

Free Proton users cannot choose a specific server or country: the service selects the next free server randomly, and a cooldown follows each change, according to its free-server guide. Paid Proton plans offer a wider set of locations and server choice.

The limit is manageable when the server selected works for you. Skip the plan when you need a specific country or a site that rejects the exit you were given. The connection can be working and still miss the site you needed, and the remedy is a paid upgrade or another provider.

Mullvad publishes a server list, so check location and ownership for your route before you pay. A listed city does not promise a given delay, site access or speed, because availability and routing change. This page makes no speed claim, because we did not run a network test.

Proton's streaming guidance says the free tier needs an upgrade before it covers streaming. If video is the reason for the VPN, check the provider's supported services and the streaming service's own terms, because an advertised location does not guarantee playback.

Location verdict: Proton Free is the low-cost start when its routes are enough. If you need a specific route, check the live list and the plan conditions on either service before you pay.

What a VPN does and does not protect

A VPN sends traffic through the provider and can protect the connection on a network you do not trust. It changes who can observe parts of that connection, and it does not make every action anonymous or remove the need to trust the provider's operation. Read the privacy policy and any audit material available, then weigh what the provider and the destination site can still see.

A VPN will not stop a password typed into a convincing phishing page. A password manager, phishing-resistant sign-in where the account supports it, timely updates and a recovery method you can reach can reduce that risk. Our phishing prevention guide and small-business 2FA guide cover those choices, which a tunnel fee does not replace when the loss is a stolen account.

A consumer VPN also does not decide which employees may open a company application. Identity, device condition and application permission have to be set separately. A zero-trust access guide frames that evaluation, and a password manager covers reused or stolen passwords, a different failure from an open network.

How to choose and verify before paying

Match the plan to the limit you cannot bend. Occasional browsing on free servers that are enough should start on Proton Free and cost nothing. A known monthly price with room for several devices is Mullvad's case, because there is no longer-term discount to decode. Streaming or a particular location means pricing the Proton plan that includes them and confirming the route on both providers first.

Write down the term, the total due, the renewal price, the device allowance and the refund rule before you pay. Keep the recovery steps where a stranger cannot read the account number or password, install only from the official source, and keep the app updated. For a team, get identity, access removal, support and billing in writing rather than inferred from a personal plan. Toolradar lists Mullvad and Proton VPN on Toolradar, and our VPN guide covers other options when neither plan fits.

How we compared

We read the vendors' pricing and support pages on October 28, 2026 and calculated the annual Mullvad cost from its stated monthly rate. Proton Free and Mullvad's paid product are not identical packages, so a lower bill on one side does not mean the same devices, servers or account rules. We did not install, benchmark, audit or independently verify the providers' privacy claims. Check the latest terms and service availability before purchasing.

FAQ

Is Mullvad or Proton VPN cheaper?

Proton has a free plan, so the cost is nothing when that plan's limits fit how you connect. Mullvad lists €5 per month for its paid VPN, and a longer term does not lower the rate. A paid Proton comparison needs the current checkout total and the renewal amount, because a promotion can make the first bill look cheaper than the bill you keep.

How many devices can use Mullvad?

Mullvad says an account can be used on up to five devices, enough for one person's phone, computer and other gadgets on the same account. If several people mean to share the login, check the current terms first. A device allowance is not permission to pass the account around.

Does Proton VPN Free have a data cap?

Proton states that the free VPN has no data limit, so ordinary use does not hit a traffic ceiling. The constraints sit elsewhere: one simultaneous connection, and a narrower set of free servers. Another direct app connection at the same time or a required country makes the plan a poor fit; a compatible router is a separate option.

Does Mullvad require an email address?

Mullvad says it does not request an email address, a username or a password when creating an account. The generated account number is what you need for access, so keep it where you can retrieve it and a stranger cannot. That suits someone who does not want mail tied to the VPN, and it is awkward if you expect an inbox reset.

Does the Mullvad price fall on an annual subscription?

The price does not fall, because the vendor lists the same monthly rate for a month and for a year. An annual purchase buys time rather than a discount. Twelve months at that published rate totals €60, subject to the terms at purchase.

Can a VPN replace two-factor authentication?

A VPN cannot replace a second factor, because the VPN protects the path your traffic takes and the second factor protects the account sign-in. Leaving that factor off keeps the account exposed even when the tunnel is on, because these controls answer different losses.

Cite this: Cyberpresso, "Mullvad vs Proton VPN 2026: Privacy and Price", October 2026.

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